Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland

Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, established over 40 years ago and funded entirely by Lloyds Banking Group profits as one of four autonomous Halifax Foundations across the British Isles, invests in local charities to empower Northern Ireland's most disadvantaged communities, fostering a sustainable, inclusive society where everyone can thrive. Its 'Better Together' strategy, launched in 2024, emphasizes flexibility, reduced bureaucracy, and collaboration among charities, guided by core values of nurturing, responsiveness, passion for mission, and integrity, with added value from Lloyds' mentoring on leadership and governance.

The Foundation prioritizes vulnerable and marginalized groups facing poverty, unemployment, disability, mental ill health, ethnicity-based barriers, or migration challenges, funding social welfare, education, health, environment, and community development initiatives. Key programmes include Community FLEX for flexible core/project support; multi-year Thrive for financial resilience and debt advice; Ignite for newly registered charities; Collaborate for multi-charity partnerships; and Empower/Invest for infrastructure and transformation, supporting projects like refugee workshops, volunteering in deprived areas, and rural medical responders.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities delivering direct benefits to Northern Ireland residents, with a preference for small-to-medium organizations (typically under £500,000 annual income) demonstrating robust governance and evidence-based impact on disadvantaged people; no geographic base restriction beyond NI impact. Grants range from £2,500 to £45,000 (e.g., £15,000 over two years for Thrive, up to £40,000+ for Invest), via straightforward online forms without prior enquiries. Community FLEX is rolling with decisions every nine weeks; others have fixed rounds (e.g., Thrive: 1-26 September 2025). It stands out for multi-year/core funding, sector collaboration, and rigorous outcomes monitoring, excluding non-NI activities and external consultant submissions.